Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41597646›Full record

ArticleMicroorganisms2026

Optimising Vaginal Microbiome Profiling for Clinical Translation: A Comparative Assessment of Sample Storage Methods and a Vagina-Specific 16S rRNA Gene Database.

Alishum Ali, Jeffrey A Keelan, Blagica Penova-Veselinovic, Morten E Allentoft, Michael Bunce, Claus T Christophersen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Microorganisms, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Alishum AliTrace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4498-2870
Jeffrey A KeelanSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5403-6266
Blagica Penova-VeselinovicDivision of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3829-6439
Morten E AllentoftTrace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4424-3568
Michael BunceTrace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0302-4206
Claus T ChristophersenTrace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1591-5871

Funding

Telethon-Perth Children's Hospital Research Fund and Western Australia Department of Health H1017003370
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Vaginal microbiome composition has been linked to risk of preterm birth (PTB), a persistent global health challenge. 16S rRNA microbial profiling has identified specific vaginal community state types (CSTs) that have been associated with PTB risk. Diagnostic profiling requires standardised pre-analytical protocols. We evaluated two storage methods and validated a curated, vagina-specific 16S rRNA gene database (VagDB) to enhance annotation. Paired Copan FLOQ swabs from 22 women at high PTB risk were processed for either (a) dry/immediate freezing or (b) Amies-stabilisation/refrigeration. Amplicon sequence variants were generated via 16S rRNA gene (V4) PCR and Illumina sequencing. We assessed diversity, composition, and community state type (CST) allocation. Amies-stabilised samples yielded significantly higher DNA (

Indexed as

16S rRNAamplicon sequencingcommunity state typespreterm birthswab samplingvaginal databasevaginal microbiome

Identifiers

PMID41597646
PMCPMC12844235

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.